Send kids back, some Arkansans in Congress say

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

WASHINGTON -- Several members of Arkansas' congressional delegation said Tuesday that the thousands of children crossing the country's southern border illegally need to go home.

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama proposed a $3.7 billion supplemental appropriation bill to address the tens of thousands of children and adults who have entered the United States from Central America in the past few months with the understanding they will be allowed to stay.

According to Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, more than 52,000 unaccompanied children have been picked up along the southern border by Customs and Border Patrol since October. About three-fourths were from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, he said.

Much of the proposed money would go to the Department of Homeland Security. It includes $1.1 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to increase border enforcement, as well as $433 million for Customs and Border Protection, some of which would be for increased aerial surveillance of the border.

Of the $3.7 billion requested, $1.8 billion is to help the Health and Human Services Department care for the children and $64 million is for the Department of Justice to hire judges and attorneys.

The Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to discuss the White House request Thursday afternoon. U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., is a committee member.

"My heart breaks for these children, but the American taxpayer cannot afford to foot the bill for their care indefinitely," he said in a statement. "The practical solution is to return these children safely and quickly home to their families. I support efforts such as hiring more administrative judges to accelerate this process and will take a close look at the details contained within this emergency funding request."

But, U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., said he doesn't expect the proposal to pass both the House and Senate unless it includes more border control and modifies a 2008 law that makes it easier for some foreign born children to get amnesty when they reach the United States.

"It's a crisis that needs to be dealt with, but the idea of just giving the president money without any reform of what's going on, I don't think the average congressperson ... will be very impressed with that idea," he said. "Unless we see some real reform, something that will address the core problem rather than just throwing money at the problem, it's going to have a difficult time passing."

Boozman referred to the William Willberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which was reauthorized in 2008 and signed by President George W. Bush. The bill authorized Health and Human Services to take over the care of children illegally in the United States who did not come from Mexico or Canada no later than 72 hours after being picked up by the Border Patrol.

The original act was designed to protect human trafficking victims, and the White House has said that the act is tying its hands in dealing with the influx of children from central American countries.

The act also requires the children be given an opportunity to appear at an immigration hearing, consult with an advocate and have access to council, a process that can take months. Health and Human Services was directed to place the children in the care of family if possible.

U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton's office said that the 72-hour window doesn't allow Border Patrol to properly process the children as they would with most other immigrants entering the United States illegally and who are then typically deported.

Cotton, R-Ark., said in a statement that the White House had months of warning that the number of children crossing the border was increasing.

"[The Obama] administration anticipated an influx of unaccompanied minors months ago, but did nothing. While additional funding may be appropriate, it should go to the Border Patrol to stop illegal immigration and ensure something like this doesn't happen again -- not welfare for those who are here illegally. And we must change the existing laws that lead to mass resettlement within the United States," he said.

In a statement, U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., said the increased number of children crossing the border shows "the lack of control we have of our southern border."

"I will consider the President's funding request and hope that it is accompanied by a clear plan to secure our border and to deal with the unaccompanied minors who are in our country. Ultimately, I believe these unaccompanied minors belong with their parents in their countries," he said.

U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., said while the House and Senate consider the proposal the president should use the resources he already has, such as deploying the National Guard.

"President Obama has been slow to react, so I welcome his attention to this crisis on the border. But he needs, first and foremost, to use the resources available to him, including the National Guard for humanitarian purposes, while the House reviews his request," he said in a statement.

Griffin also said that any extra money Congress approves needs to be paid for with cuts elsewhere in the federal budget.

"The House will write its own bill, I believe, with its own policy priorities, and yes, any additional funding should be paid for by eliminating more wasteful spending in the federal budget: we owe that to hardworking taxpayers," he said.

U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford's Chief of Staff Jonah Shumate said the congressman wanted to review the president's proposal before commenting on it.

A section on 07/09/2014